


The flu chronicles

by LittleMissKnowItAll



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Negan's a fellow Alexandrian in this, Sick Fic, Takes place is same slighty AU universe as my other fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-19
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-09-25 16:21:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9829013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleMissKnowItAll/pseuds/LittleMissKnowItAll
Summary: Let's keep this short and simple: Rick has the flu and Negan takes care of him. Cuteness and fluff overload because I'm a sap ;)





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [weinsanedreamer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/weinsanedreamer/gifts).



> Hey there!
> 
> This fic takes place in the same universe as my other fic, which can be found here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/9717155 You don't have to read that one to understand this fic, but it certainly wouldn't be a bad thing if you did ;) 
> 
> I would like to thank everyone who took the time to leave kudo's or a comment on my other Rick/Negan fic, you guys are the best. I am seriously overwhelmed by your kindness and am happy this trip into unknown territory (for me) seems to have worked out so well :)
> 
> Dearest weinsanedreamer, thank you for the idea. I really hope you like it!!
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudo's and comments give me life. I truly love hearing from you guys <3  
> Oh, and also feel free to leave me ideas for future fics if you like my style ;)

Rick woke up in a drenched t-shirt, hair sticking to his forehead. His vision was blurred, his throat raw. He had come down with the flu and he knew it. Had felt it coming on for days, ignoring the little hints his body was giving him. There was a damn apocalypse going on outside the gates of Alexandria and he sure as hell wasn’t going to lie in bed while the rest took care of keeping them all safe. Not to mention the fact that the last time people got the flu, it didn’t go over that well. He wouldn’t say he was scared per se, but he wasn’t thrilled about it either.

He tried sitting up and failed miserably. He was suddenly overcome with nausea, feeling like he’d been on a rollercoaster for hours. He closed his eyes again and groaned. This was not going to work…

He heard the creak of a door opening, heard soft footsteps come closer as he tried to sit up once more.

“Hey hey” A voice said softly as a hand landed on his shoulder, holding him down. “Try not to move too much, it will only make it worse.”

He felt the bed dip, the heat of someone sitting down next to him. The hand was still on his shoulder, a thumb rubbing soft circles into his skin as another hand landed on his forehead. “Shit” He heard Negan mutter before the cool hand left again. Rick moaned at the loss and tried opening his eyes again. 

“Negan?“ Rick asked, his voice raspy. He tried swallowing a couple of times, but that only seemed to make it worse. 

“Hey” Negan said softly, concerned eyes scanning Rick’s face. “How are you feeling?”

Rick wanted to laugh at that, but his body wouldn’t let him. As soon as he opened his mouth, a coughing fit overtook him and he found himself being pulled into a sitting position. Negan’s hand had now drifted from his shoulder to his back, rubbing softly until Rick could finally breathe again. 

Sitting back against the headboard, he felt Negan lift his hand and put something in it. Opening his eyes once more, trying desperately to look past the blurriness, he saw that it was a glass of water. Throwing him a grateful glance, he lifted the glass to his lips and took a sip. 

“You wanna eat something?” Negan asked as he took the now only half full glass from Rick’s hands. 

Rick shook his head, slipping back down unto the bed. Negan nodded, getting up. Pulling the blankets up higher, he pressed a soft kiss to Rick’s forehead as he whispered “I’ll be back soon”. Rick nodded slightly, drifting off to sleep before Negan had even left the room. 

The next time Rick awoke, he felt slightly better. His vision was surprisingly clear and he could breathe a little easier. He looked around the room, noticing the previously curtained windows were now wide open and there was a fresh glass of water on the nightstand. He sat up slowly, picking up the glass. The first sips went down his throat smoothly, the cool feeling nice against the rawness. Enjoying the feeling, he took another, slightly larger sip. Sadly, it seemed to go down the wrong pipe, causing yet another unprovoked coughing fit. He managed to put the glass down, before putting a hand up to his mouth. His body ached as he let out a series of painful coughs. 

In the corner of his eye, he saw the bedroom door open. Before he could process the movement, that cool and familiar hand was back, rubbing up and down his spine carefully. “Oh babe” Negan said softly, hating seeing the man he loved this way and knowing there wasn’t really anything he could do about it. “Here, take this”. He handed Rick a small pill, ignoring Rick’s protests.

“I’m fine, Neeg” He said strongly, ignoring the way his throat protested the action. “There will be someone else who needs these more one day”

“There’s already someone who needs them” Negan said, taking Rick’s hand and dropping the pill in it before getting up. “I made the kids some spaghetti, would you like some? Or maybe some soup?”

Rick smiled, closing his eyes as he swallowed the pill down with some water. He loved hearing Negan refer to Carl and Judith as ‘the kids’. It was one of those domestic moments he never thought he’d get to be a part of again after everything that happened, after Lori. “Soup sounds good” He said eventually, opening his eyes again. 

Negan was watching him, studying him with a curious expression. “You look better” He said softly, relief clear in his voice. He stilled suddenly, seemingly catching himself before tuning back into their conversation. “Chicken soup it is. I’ll be right back”

“Uhuh, I’ve heard that before” Rick responded, smiling slightly as he closed his eyes again. 

“That’s enough from you, sleeping beauty” Negan laughed, closing the bedroom door as he headed for the kitchen. 

Rick rolled over in bed, searching for a cool spot and finding it. He was now lying on Negan’s side of the bed, enjoying the smell of him on his pillow. Breathing in deeply, he pushed his head further into the pillow as if chasing both the scent and the coolness of the fabric. He remembered closing his eyes for a second.

The next thing he noticed was a hand on his shoulder, softly shaking him “Rick. Hey Rick”

Shooting up, it took Rick a moment to remember where he was…and in what state. Groaning loudly, he sat up against the headboard. 

“Sorry babe, but you really need to eat something” Negan said guiltily, sitting down next to him again. “I see you’ve found a new spot”

“Yeah, ‘m sorry” Rick said, opening his eyes. “Was hot”

Negan simply nodded, holding the bowl out towards the other man. “It’s okay. It’s your bed too, remember”

Smiling slightly, Rick took the bowl and put it in his blanket covered lap. Blowing on the first spoonful, he looked back up at Negan. “Thank you”

“Don’t thank me yet, you haven’t tasted it yet.” Negan joked, pointing at the soup.

Rick shook his head slowly, smiling at the man in front of him. “That’s not what I meant and you know it. Really, thank you” His face was open, full of emotion and love. Negan still couldn’t believe he was lucky enough to be on the receiving end of that look. 

Reaching across, he held onto Rick’s hand for a second, squeezing it before letting go. “Hey, I love you, okay? It’s actually kinda selfish, if you look at it. The sooner you’re better, the sooner I can have my side of the bed back” He winked at Rick at that. “And you know how much fun this bed can be”

Rick groaned again, this time slightly mockingly, before raising the spoon to his mouth once more. 

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes after that, Rick slowly eating his soup, Negan watching him. When Rick was done, Negan took the bowl from him and put it on the nightstand. 

“Wanna go back to sleep?” He asked softly, putting a hand to Rick’s forehead. The fever had gone down, luckily.

“M not tired” Rick mumbled, sliding down the bed. Dropping his head onto the pillow heavily, he looked up at Negan. “Tell me something”  
“What would you like to hear?” Negan whispered, moving a hand through Rick’s soft curls. 

“Something ‘bout you I don’t know yet….What was your biggest fear before all this? First kiss? D’you want kids? Anything” Rick’s words had started slurring slightly, a sign that he’d be out like a light in no time. 

Smiling, Negan began answering. “First kiss that mattered was you.” He said softly, looking at the half sleeping man before him. “And I don’t just want kids, I got them. Two of ‘em. Perfect ones, stubborn as hell. Just like their dad.” He said, ending in a whisper. Rick smiled softly, his eyes closed and breathing slow. He drifted off with Negan’s words clear in his slightly fuzzy head. They were a family, all four of them. An unconventional one maybe, but in this world, who cared? 

The next time Rick woke up, he was alone. The room was dark, the curtains closed. Judging from the alarm on Negan’s nightstand, it was early in the morning. He tried sitting up, feeling immense relief at the fact that he could do so without straining himself. His head felt lighter, his throat slightly less raw and his vision was just about 20/20. He had made it out alive. Smiling slightly at his own sense of drama, he pushed the blankets back and got up. ‘Rick, shower, now’ his brain provided helpfully as he made his way over to the bathroom.

The cool stream had felt amazing, as had finally washing his hair and body. Feeling refreshed and a whole lot better than the past few days, he got out of the shower and stared at himself in the mirror. His beard could only be described as scruffy, but he found he rather liked it. Deciding to keep the facial hair for now, he continued his routine by brushing his teeth, combing his hair into some form of submission and putting on some fresh clothes. 

Walking downstairs, he followed the smell of coffee until he reached the kitchen. 

”Hey, look who it is” Negan said smiling as Rick came into view. He was sitting at the table, spoon in hand. Next to him was a smiling Judith, waving frantically at Rick as if she was afraid he wouldn’t notice her otherwise.

“Morning” Rick smiled back at them, sitting down on Judith’s other side. Negan handed him the spoon as he sat down, getting up to pour Rick a cup of coffee. 

“You truly are the best, Neeg. I don’t know what I did to deserve you” He said as Negan put the coffee down in front of him. He grabbed onto the hand before Negan could pull it back, pressing a soft kiss onto it. 

Negan smiled at him as he sat back down opposite him, scrunching his nose up slightly. “You’re such a sap, are you sure you don’t have a fever anymore?”

“Ass” Rick chuckled, grabbing onto his coffee cup with both hands.

“Nope, definitely flu-free.” Negan laughed, nodding his head. “By the way, I really like the beard.”


End file.
